Beginning with the destruction of half of America, a mad dash to escape being swallowed up by the very ground you walk on, and even a floating gun fight in the outer regions of space, Call of Duty: Ghosts starts as it means to go on.

With a campaign that sees players sneaking through jungle foliage, bombing oil fields in an Apache helicopter, and rappelling down huge skyscrapers, this is the same Call of Duty that we all know and love, only with the action cranked up to 11.

The game revolves around a father, his two sons and a group of almost mythical soldiers known as Ghosts.

It follows their fight against a familiar foe and a united enemy known as the Federation, a force that has spent ten years plotting America's ultimate demise.

The story plays out like a second-rate Hollywood action film, featuring a series of predictable twists and turns up until an admittedly powerful and rather shocking conclusion.

It plays second-fiddle to the action, of course, which introduces an unrelenting number of set-pieces in a campaign that's as exhausting as it is exhilarating.

Along the way, players will be forced to escape flooded cities, infiltrate bases dressed as enemy soldiers, and plunge down treacherous waterfalls to avoid helicopter fire.

This is the same Call of Duty that we all know and love, only with the action cranked up to 11

There's rarely a dull moment, even though the incessant stream of action set-pieces will feel familiar to long-time Call of Duty fans.

One minor difference is that players can call upon their guard dog Riley to take out enemy stragglers with a touch of a button, while other sections switch control to the dog in order to scout out areas and collect intel.

Unfortunately, Riley is absent for large portions of the game, eliminating the long-term strategical appeal of having a canine squad member.

The campaign takes place in a diverse selection of environments, although barring the appearance of a broken Hollywood sign and the forgotten Santa Monica pier, the developers fail to capitalise on the almost post-apocalyptic nature of the setting.

The current-gen version might also be the victim of Infinity Ward's ambitions, as colors seem slightly dull and textures appear fuzzy throughout.

That said, vogue underwater sections and character models look quite stunning, and the frame-rate never dips, despite the amount of on-screen enemies and action.

It's also a shame that dynamic environmental damage found in multiplayer (more on that later) doesn't make the transition to the main campaign, which ultimately feels very linear.

One quick-fire map sees an abandoned baseball stadium completely redesigned after being targeted by a bomb. Players are forced to forget everything they knew about the map, potentially shifting the momentum to the opposing team.

It's the little things that make the dynamic maps such a joy to play, however. Cornered in a building's interior, players can shoot a padlock to make an escape and get the lead on enemy pursuers.

Another map gives players the chance to take out the opposing team under the creaking supports of a gas station, while fallen logs and destructible containers open up higher ground and potential bonus items.

A lot of effort has also gone into making the maps feel much more diverse and less two-dimensional, with a greater balance between high and low ground, as well as an increased number of interiors and hiding spots.

One of our favorite maps, titled Whiteout, features a wide array of log cabins, caves, and underground routes, making it perfect for both assault and sniper classes.

The only problem with the bigger, more complex maps is that in games featuring fewer competitors, players will spend too much time searching for single enemy soldiers.

In terms of game modes, multiplayer features a wide selection returning favorites such as Domination and Team Deathmatch, as well as fast-paced additions such as Cranked, and slower, strategic modes such as Search and Rescue.

Cranked sees players earn a speed boost for every kill, but at the mercy of a timer that causes instant death on detonation. It's a mode capable of really cranking up the tension, with care and caution thrown out of the window when the timer ticks down to zero.

Though team-based, it feels much more like a traditional run and gun deathmatch found in the likes of Quake.

Unfortunately, some of the party modes, such as Infected, where the aim is to survive knife attacks and be the last person standing, fail to hit the spot and are unlikely to be found on too many playlists.

One game mode, in which players must collect and bank enemy tags is much more thrilling, as players toy with the idea of playing it safe and banking tags, or going after a target in plain sight.

Hunted, where advanced weapons can only be unlocked through ammo crates, is equally exciting, although it's one of the game modes that suffers without maximum participants.

A lot of effort has also gone into making the maps feel much more diverse and less two-dimensional, with a greater balance between high and low ground

Debuting in place of 'Spec Ops', Squads is slightly harder to gauge at this early stage, as it relies on extended online and offline support.

The idea is that players create a squad of soldiers in order take on bots or offline teams across the game's multiplayer maps and altered versions of deathmatches.

It's a solid game mode for players who feel intimidated by traditional online play, largely thanks to the superior AI.

AI soldiers will jump around corners, strafe left and right and even camp, depending on your squad loadout, of course. It makes picking the right team and map for offline play particularly important, which makes it a good learning ground for rookies.

AI soldiers aren't as twitchy as human counterparts and don't perform the same cheap tricks, but they're a huge improvement on classic bots, which traditionally provide little challenge.

It's just a shame that the game doesn't take advantage of cloud computing in the same way as Forza 5, which actually learns player behavior.

It's hard to imagine Squads being the go-to game mode for experienced players, although one-to-one deathmatches with two groups of well thought out squads could be seen as the ultimate proving ground.

On top of what is already a huge amount of multiplayer content, Ghosts also features a co-op mode in which soldiers tackle alien enemies and hives.

Clearly inspired by Zombies, Extinction requires an eye for strategy - with unlockables purchased in-game - as well as a quick trigger finger.

It's a hugely enjoyable mode when played with friends, let down only by its short length. After getting two thirds of the way through in my first sitting, it's unlikely to challenge experienced players enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.

Possibly to accommodate current and next-gen consoles, Call of Duty: Ghosts doesn't feel like a huge step forward for the franchise.

Instead, it offers a refined single and multiplayer experience, which ultimately provide more ways than ever to enjoy the action.

Despite an overriding feeling of familiarity, Ghosts is another excellent entry in the Call of Duty series.